Curriculum Developer Functions

Conduct Extensive Research Regarding Curricula

Create Curricula

Work with Teachers and Administrators to Implement Curriculum

Recommend Changes

Continue Monitoring and Training Curriculum

If you’re looking for a job in the education field, but want a more “behind the scenes” kind of career, you may be considering becoming a curriculum developer. These types of specialists work to make the education system better by creating a base for both learning and teaching. The information we will provide below will help you better understand what these types of specialists do every day and mostly, what their 5 typical functions are.

1. Conduct Extensive Research Regarding Curricula

These types of professionals spend a lot of time doing research to help decide what direction the school’s administration, teachers, and students should go. They may look at studies or conduct meetings with different types of people in the field to help them decide what ways students should learn, how teachers should be trained, and what the students should be taught. They can analyze data from many sources, including test results and specific topics, to help guide them to the best strategy.

2. Create Curricula

This seems like a very broad term; and it is. These specialists help to create curriculums for the school administration after doing extensive research. This includes deciding what students will learn and how they will learn; from choosing books, to deciding on testing requirements and creating a path that students will take. They will spend time reviewing and recommending textbooks, tests, and other educational materials to guide students down the specific curriculum they have created.

3. Work with Teachers and Administrators to Implement Curriculum

After these developers decide on and create a curriculum, they must then help the administration and teachers implement it. First they must present their curriculum to the administration to be approved, and give them the plan on action for implementing said curriculum. After approval, they begin conducting meetings, training sessions, and other means of education. They must ensure that everyone is on board so to speak, so that the curriculum is being taught in a streamlined manner. These specialists may also mentor or coach teachers on improving their skills so that they may better teach the curriculum.

4. Recommend Changes

This function goes hand-in-hand with the research side of the job. Curriculum developers must make recommendations based on a variety of different factors, like the research they have done, test evaluations, student/teacher happiness, and effectiveness. These curriculum developers can make recommendations regarding "teaching techniques and the use of different or new technologies," for example, as stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is their job to ensure that everyone has to tools necessary to implement the curriculum, from books, to tests and technologies.

5. Continue Monitoring and Training Curriculum

These specialists’ jobs aren’t over simply after they have created and implemented the curriculum. They must continue monitoring progress, including conducting studies, sitting in on teachers’ classes, and making recommendations. They can conduct training or recommend changes to teachers to better help them. They must not only ensure that the new curriculum is being used, but that it is being followed correctly. This kind of monitoring can also allow developers to make adjustments and changes to the curriculum to better suit necessary needs.

A curriculum developer has an extremely important job. The education system (at any level) would not function without the hard work of those who create the system that is taught and learned. This list of 5 typical functions has hopefully helped you understand better what these types of specialists do and how important their work is to the entire education system.